Innovation & Entrepreneurship

The Innovation & Entrepreneurship program at the School of Informatics and Computing supports students in their innovative and entrepreneurial endeavors. Directed by Dr. Travis J. Brown, the activities in the program range from scholarship programs to mentorship from experienced professionals. If you have any questions about the SoIC Innovation & Entrepreneurship program, including any of the following initiatives, please email Dr. Brown at trabrown@indiana.edu.

Cheng Wu Innovation Challenge

The Cheng Wu Innovation Challenge supports students who are learning to develop technological innovations which are unconstrained by any immediate consideration of the commercial potential of those innovations. These may be new applications of existing technologies or the creation and/or use of new technologies. A total of $15,000 will be awarded.

Shoemaker Scholars Program for Undergraduate Students

As the result of a generous gift from John and Donna Shoemaker, the School of Informatics and Computing launched the Shoemaker Scholars Program, a cross-campus student entrepreneurship ambassador group. The Shoemaker Scholars are a prestigious group of ten students selected for their entrepreneurial ambition and drive. As a Shoemaker Scholar, students receive a scholarship of $2,500 per academic year. At the end of each academic year, current members are required to re-apply to ensure that the group continues to allow new members.

Donna and John Shoemaker

Students interested in being considered for this selective scholarship must be an undergraduate in good academic standing (cumulative and current grade point averages of 3.0 or better) at IU Bloomington and must be able to articulate their passion for innovation and entrepreneurship, both through their future career aspirations and their current endeavors, such as group involvement, certificates and degrees being completed in these areas, and startup businesses developed or being developed. In addition to financial support, the Shoemaker Scholars engage in activities to enhance knowledge of and experience with innovation and entrepreneurship.

VisionTech Entrepreneurship Advisory Sessions

The VisionTech Entrepreneurship Advisory Sessions is a free, monthly service in the school with the purpose of advising student entrepreneurs who are working on, or thinking about, starting a company or commercializing an idea. This service is provided by Pat East, CEO of Hanapin Marketing, founder of Cofound Ventures, and the President of VisionTech Angels' Bloomington Chapter. He is an experienced entrepreneur, and has graciously offered to meet with student entrepreneurs to provide feedback on their concepts. The advice comes with no obligation to work with Mr. East or his companies.

Ice Miller Entrepreneurship Advisory Sessions

Beyond general advice regarding their startups, entrepreneurs also tend to lack sufficient legal guidance in the early stages of new venture development. As a part of the School of Informatics and Computing's ongoing effort to increase the resources available for entrepreneurs at Indiana University, the SoIC formed a partnership with Ice Miller, one of the largest law firms in Indianapolis, to provide free, initial consultation to student entrepreneurs.

The primary purpose of this partnership is to give student entrepreneurs the confidence to develop their intellectual property into viable businesses without the fear of losing rights to the IP in the process. Services include, but are not limited to, intellectual property protection strategies, selecting a business structure, and drafting operating and partnership agreements. There is no obligation to work with Ice Miller beyond the advisory sessions. Though the initial consultation will be free of charge, subsequent meetings, filing fees, and other miscellaneous charges will be negotiated on a case-by-case basis.

Cross Campus Certificate in Entrepreneurship for Undergraduate Students

The need for students in other disciplines to understand entrepreneurship is increasing, especially with the dramatic changes taking place in their fields of study. Many students end up in careers where they work for themselves, so basic business and entrepreneurial principles become invaluable for them. The Cross Campus Certificate in Entrepreneurship consists of fifteen credit hours. Only undergraduate students outside of the Kelley School of Business will be admitted into the Certificate in Entrepreneurship program.

The program consists of three courses from the Kelley School of Business (W212-Exploring Entrepreneurship, W300-Small Business Management, and Z302-Managing & Behavior in Organizations) and two of the three innovation and entrepreneurship courses from the School of Informatics & Computing (I400-Design Strategy, I400-Technology Entrepreneurship, and I400-Technology Innovation).

Informatics and Computing Entrepreneurs (ICE)

Are you a student studying on the Bloomington campus who is interested in technology entrepreneurship? Join a student group focused on fostering a culture of entrepreneurship and innovation within the SoIC! The Informatics and Computing Entrepreneurs (ICE) are a group of student entrepreneurs in SoIC who coordinate student entrepreneurship events and support the development of student startups.

Velocity Conference for Graduate Students

The Velocity Conference is an annual event which affords a select group of graduate students the opportunity to directly interact with technology entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley. Students learn about the process of starting and building businesses through the firsthand accounts of experienced entrepreneurs in addition to visiting startups to observe the operations in person. The Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation in the Kelley School of Business covers the costs of lodging, meals, and all activities, while the airfare for selected students is covered by the Assistant Dean for Research Office in the School of Informatics and Computing.

Venture Fellowship

Gifts from SproutBox and Ice Miller LLP provide up to a $10,000 scholarship to one student startup business that can demonstrate a commitment to driving their business forward, whether through success already achieved or its business plans. The business can be an individual or a team, with the scholarship being divided evenly between the members. The team is initially given a $5,000 scholarship and work space at the School of Informatics and Computing in order to develop their venture during the summer term, with the goal being to reach milestones established at the start of the program. In the event that the mentors are satisfied with the team's progress at the end of the summer, the team will be awarded an additional $2,500 scholarship to support the team as they continue developing their business during the fall semester in order to achieve another set of objectives, which would then allow the team to renew their $2,500 scholarship as they further develop their business during the spring semester.

All teams are mentored by Dr. Travis J. Brown, Assistant Dean for Innovation & Entrepreneurship; Brad Wisler, founder and CEO of Periodic and co-founder of SproutBox; and Dustin DuBois, partner at Ice Miller, weekly to develop their business/product.

For your application, create a 2-minute video describing (1) your idea, (2) your team, and (3) your passion/inspiration for your concept, in addition to completing the online application. Submit the team members' resumes as well as the link to your video to Dr. Brown by Friday, March 3 at 5 p.m. EST.

StartupIU Newsletter

Sign up for the StartupIU newsletter if you are interested in receiving information about activities related to innovation and entrepreneurship at Indiana University and Bloomington at large. You can sign up for the newsletter, which is managed by the Shoemaker Scholars, through the StartupIU website.